Melbourne teacher charged over grooming and indecent assault of student

A Melbourne teacher at a private Christian college has been arrested over allegations he groomed and sexually assaulted one of his students.

Police arrested the 42-year-old Narre Warren South man on Tuesday and charged him with child grooming and the indecent assault of a child under the age of 16.

In a statement, senior constable Paul Turner said officers from the Greater Dandenong sexual offences and child abuse investigation team arrested the man at “an educational facility” in Berwick “in relation to allegations spanning over the last 12 months”.

The man has been bailed to appear at Dandenong magistrates court on 28 April.

He has been suspended from his job as a teacher at the Berwick campus of Beaconhills College, a co-educational prep to year 12 school in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Beaconhills headmaster, Tony Sheumack, confirmed a teacher had been arrested on campus and charged with child sex offences.

Scheumack said the school was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the arrest and was “doing everything we can to fully cooperate with Victoria police in this matter.

“Our immediate priority is the wellbeing of the student involved and, of course, the wellbeing of all of our students,” he said. “This is of utmost concern to us.”

“The college has a comprehensive wellbeing program and processes in place to ensure all of our students feel safe and supported to speak up about concerns about themselves or others.

“We have communicated this information to all college families and staff members and provided advice for anyone in our community who may need further support.”